ANOTHER DANGER!!!!
Our sun is the source of our life. What would happen if something happens to the sun. It is recently observed that there is big Black spot building on the surface of Sun. What is the reason for it's origin. How would it effect our lives? The research is in progress.
The formation of sunspots has to do with the magnetic field of the Sun. All planets and stars have a magnetic field. The Earth has a magnetic field which moves a compass arrow so that it always points to the North. The Sun's magnetic field is not that simple: it is very strong in some regions, and much weaker in other regions. In some regions it is a thousand times larger than the Earth's magnetic field. These regions of strong magnetic fields are where we find sunspots! Moreover, the spots often come in pairs. These pairs act like a bar magnet: one of spots corresponds to the North Pole and other to the South Pole of the bar. Walking with a compass on the Sun would be confusing; the compass would always show the direction to a nearby sunspot. Since most of the spots are located right above and below the Sun’s equator, a compass arrow would usually point East or West. However, the compass would point in different directions in different regions of the Sun.
The spots look like craters: they are darker in the center and have a lighter rim around them. Scientists now understand that the spots look black because they are cooler than the rest of the surface of the Sun. Why are spots cooler in the region of the strongest magnetic field? This is because the upper layers of the Sun are in constant motion, like bees in a hive. This motion helps bring heat from inner regions up to the surface and makes the surface hot. But a strong magnetic field slows down this motion and prevents heat from moving up to the surface. The lowest temperature in the sunspots is about 3,700 Kelvin, which is about 6,200 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature may seem very high, but it is much lower than the temperature of the rest of the solar surface, which is 5,700 Kelvin, or more than 9,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, the spots look black in comparison with the nearby hotter regions of the Sun.
Sun's activity is in cyclic order, it regularly goes in an 11 year cycle. The next peak is expected in 2011. When the peak is achieved, it will have noticeable impact on Earth. Satellite networks would be jammed, Power grids would be shut down. Many big cities might get into total darkness for a long time. But this had to happen when it was expected in 2011. But recently it has been seen that a Black spot has formed on the surface of Sun and it can affect our lives adversely. What would really happen, I am also in search to get more information. As soon as I get I'll post.
The formation of sunspots has to do with the magnetic field of the Sun. All planets and stars have a magnetic field. The Earth has a magnetic field which moves a compass arrow so that it always points to the North. The Sun's magnetic field is not that simple: it is very strong in some regions, and much weaker in other regions. In some regions it is a thousand times larger than the Earth's magnetic field. These regions of strong magnetic fields are where we find sunspots! Moreover, the spots often come in pairs. These pairs act like a bar magnet: one of spots corresponds to the North Pole and other to the South Pole of the bar. Walking with a compass on the Sun would be confusing; the compass would always show the direction to a nearby sunspot. Since most of the spots are located right above and below the Sun’s equator, a compass arrow would usually point East or West. However, the compass would point in different directions in different regions of the Sun.
The spots look like craters: they are darker in the center and have a lighter rim around them. Scientists now understand that the spots look black because they are cooler than the rest of the surface of the Sun. Why are spots cooler in the region of the strongest magnetic field? This is because the upper layers of the Sun are in constant motion, like bees in a hive. This motion helps bring heat from inner regions up to the surface and makes the surface hot. But a strong magnetic field slows down this motion and prevents heat from moving up to the surface. The lowest temperature in the sunspots is about 3,700 Kelvin, which is about 6,200 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature may seem very high, but it is much lower than the temperature of the rest of the solar surface, which is 5,700 Kelvin, or more than 9,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, the spots look black in comparison with the nearby hotter regions of the Sun.
Sun's activity is in cyclic order, it regularly goes in an 11 year cycle. The next peak is expected in 2011. When the peak is achieved, it will have noticeable impact on Earth. Satellite networks would be jammed, Power grids would be shut down. Many big cities might get into total darkness for a long time. But this had to happen when it was expected in 2011. But recently it has been seen that a Black spot has formed on the surface of Sun and it can affect our lives adversely. What would really happen, I am also in search to get more information. As soon as I get I'll post.
